A blistering start to the second half saw France knock the stuffing out of Italy to win 30-10 in Paris and ease to a second straight RBS 6 Nations victory.

After an opening 40 minutes filled with indifferent kicking and no tries, Louis Picamoles, Wesley Fofana and Hugo Bonneval each scored inside 12 second-half minutes to blow away the visitors.

Tommaso Iannone scored late on for the visitors but France eased to a second win in as many home matches, while Italy failed to build on an encouraging display in Wales last weekend.

The French pack was well on the front foot in the opening stages and forced a string of penalties at the breakdown, the last of which offered Jean-Marc Doussain the opportunity to break the deadlock.

But the scrum-half drew a groan from the Paris crowd as he sent a straightforward penalty wide of the upright and he compounded their disappointment two minutes later with another weak effort.

Gonzalo Garcia was next to have a crack at the posts, after Italy full-back Luke McLean ended a kicking battle by running the ball from his own 22 to the halfway line.

In turn Sergio Parisse ran into contact and French hands in the ruck were punished with a penalty, but Garcia's long effort fell well short.

Another penalty marginally inside the French half was enough to entice Garcia into a second bite of the cherry after 20 minutes but the Italian inside centre sent it left of the posts.

The deadlock was finally broken after 27 minutes - Brice Dulin almost found a way over the Italian line but he spilled forward and, after referee Jaco Peyper brought it back for a French penalty, Doussain gratefully tapped over from in front of the posts.

It took Tommaso Allan just two minutes to draw Italy level, after an Alberto De Marchi break led to French hands in the ruck, and he soon had the chance to nose Italy ahead.

Martin Castrogiovanni led the forwards into contact and more French ill-discipline at the breakdown granted the Scottish-born fly-half the opportunity - but he skewed it wide of the right-hand upright.

A sharp Dulin break from inside his own 22 sparked France back into life and they surged into the opposition half, where Italy collapsed a maul.

Doussain squeaked the resulting penalty in off the post and the scrum-half proved he had found his range two minutes before the break, bisecting the posts with a third penalty.

France flew out the blocks after the break and, after his pack overturned Italy's first-half dominance, Picamoles burst out of a maul to bundle over the line despite the attention of two defenders.

Mr Peyper sent the decision up to the TMO but once it was confirmed Doussain sent a tricky conversion from the left touchline between the posts.

A moment of magic from Fofana two minutes later was a killer blow for Italy, the centre collecting from the back of a ruck 40 yards out and skipping down the blindsinde, eventually breaking McLean's tackle to touch down - Doussain nailed another tough conversion.

And the French backs drove a stake through Italian hearts after 52 minutes, when Fofana intercepted a loose pass inside his own half.

The centre streaked beyond the halfway line and offloaded to Yoann Huget, who found Bonneval to cross on debut, with Doussain once again adding the extras.

Italy almost found a try of their own after 65 minutes but, after spreading the ball wide to the left flank, Huget's flying tackle in the corner forced a knock-on.

The pack returned with great intensity and drove towards the line with several phases but after replacement Tobias Botes scrambled over the line, the TMO ruled the ball was held up.

France replacement Sebastien Vahaamahina was sent to the sin bin with just over ten minutes to go, for needlessly kicking the ball away shortly after coming on.

And two more were given their marching orders minutes later, when Rabah Slimani and Michele Rizzo clashed in the scrum, each earning a red card for a head-butt.

Italy finally had their try three minutes from time, when Parisse's good work at the back of the maul eventually released Iannone to step inside his man and score, with Luciano Orquera adding the tricky conversion.